Stanley w



s. w FINGH. ROLLER SKATE.

' (Np Model.)

.m lnli Patented Feb. 2.7;, 71894.;

1 fim 74 12262) UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

STANLEY W. FINGH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,490, dated February 27, 189%.

Application filed December 4,1893. Serial No. 492,735. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY W. FINCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to various new and useful improvements in roller skates, design ed particularly for use on ordinary streets and roads but well adapted for use in prepared rinks and on smooth surfaces.

The objects of my invention are to provide a roller skate which will be of light weight, which will be attractive in appearance, which willbe durable in use, which can be steered readily, and easily atthe will of the user, and which can be effectively stopped when necessary with ease and dispatch. These objects are accomplished in the construction of the improved roller skate illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved roller skate; Fig. 2,aplan View, and Fig; 3, a sectional view taken on the line w:c of Fig. 1.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are designated by the same letters of reference.

A, is the main or supporting frame of the skate, made preferably of sheet steel of the desired thickness to obtain the necessary strength, but which may be conveniently made of wood, aluminum or other materials. I consider steel to be preferable however, since it is light and strong and is capable of being easily worked, and I shall describe the use thereof herein, although I do not limit myself to such material unless so specified in my claims.

At its forward end the plate A, isbent upward at B, to form the curved elastic portion shown and said plate then continues obliquely upward and is then bent back on itself to form the head portion 0, of sufficient depth to ofier a good bearing for the front fork. There is also to be more or less elasticity in this head 0, to hold the front fork securely, as I shall more fully explain here inafter. The plate A, from the point a, to the extreme rear end is bent downward at right angles on each side to form the flange b, which necessary.

The rear portion of the plate A, is bifurcated as shown to form two legs, 0, and d, and these legs are curved outwardly, as at e, and then extend backward parallel to each other, to accommodate the rear wheel D, of the skate. The particular construction of wheel which I prefer to use is illustrated in Fig. 8, to which attention is now directed butI make no claim to the same. The body of the wheel is composed of two very thin disks f, which may be easily stamped in shape. At the central part of each disk, the cup-shaped hub g, is formed, the outer end of each of said hubs being flanged slightly inward at h, as shown. The outer edge of each disk f, is curved outward as shown, so that when the two disks are riveted togetherby rivets t',a well known rim or felly 7', will be formed and the central part of each disk being arched outward as shown, a very light and rigid wheel will be produced. Such a wheel, owing to its great strength and excessive lightness,is well adapted for use with my improved roller skate, but I do not wish to be limited to the same, as a wooden wheel, or a wheel made like an ordinary bicycle wheel can be used. Secured in the rim or fellyj, is a tire is, of any desired construction and composed of any desired material. A small pneumatic tire such as is now used on bicycles and tricycles can be used with good results. Extending through the hubs g, of the wheel is the axle 1, having the bearing cones m, thereon, made adjustable on the axle toward each other. Hardened steel balls a, are placed within the cup-shaped hubs g, being held therein by, the flanges h, and bear on. the bearing cones m, thereby'constituting a simple and effective ball-bearing. Theaxle. Z, is formed with a rectangular portion 0,

which bears within slots p, in the legs 6, and}; (1, being held firmly against the rear ends of 1 said slots by blocks of rubber q, within the same or by heavy coiled springs. Nuts 7', on the outside of the axle Z, serve to retain the same firmly in place, and at the same time will allow said axle carrying the rear wheel tendency of the said spindle to be loosened by the constant jarring of the skate on rough surfaces, is practically obviated. Extending" down frem'the #spindle' 'E,'1and in liiie'fthei'e with is the front fork F, of the skate, con;

sisting, as heretofore, of two paranermemnie; legs. Each of the said legs is provided with thefsma'll arm'rtat its lower end extending obliquely" backward 'and downward and sup ported'nearthe ends of these arms t, onthe axle u, is'th'e'frentwheel G, of'th'e skate. In construction and in size the front wheel should be substantially the same as the rear wheeli I Inorderth'at the front wheel may be-kept from accidentally turning pivotally" on the spiii'dleE',and' be retained initsnorm'al position in line with the rear wheel, I make use 0f the semi-circular springs H, secured rig idly to the plateA, directly beneath the curved-portion B, andconnected with the two legs'of the front fork F. Insteadof using two of such springs H, it might be advisable tomake use-of a single spring, made in the form ofan' almost continuous circle, secured to'the ;plateyA,near its'ce'nter and *to the front-'fo'rldF, at ea'chendQ By making use-of such 'spring -or springs I-I, thefrontwheel Gr,will be 'keptjalways inline with the back wh'eel,unless it is desired to steer'the skate, as" will be presently-explained.

I, is 'the' foot support of the skate, made ofa Wellknown shape-andpreferably of wood and of-suflicient width-and length to accommoda te'the "foot of the user, it being understood that the plate A, may be made 'ofmuch less" width. The foot is secured to the foot support I in any suitable way,- ordinary heel and toe strapsibeing shown, but clamps adapt edto gra'sp th'e'sole oftheshoe are welladapted" fo'rvthe' purpose; Thisfoot support I, is' hingednearits rear end to'th'e" plate-'A, by an*ordinary hinge*r, and rests near-its-fo'r ward en'd' on' a block w, made 'prefeiabl'y'of rubbers Saidfootiest is held in its proper pdsition" by}; guides 1m, x, secured to the-plate A. Atftheback of the plate-A, is a guard ll, made prefe'rably ofmetal'and securely bracedin an'yff desired manner as shown,therear 1 to'rot'ate entirely clear of said guard, but ad= jacent to' th'e same; This guard J, serves to wheel, as I shall now describe.

Pivbted beneath the foot rest I on the underside of the plate A, is a bell lever y, the

end of whichiis' 'connected-to the foot rest by means of-a short wi re or-link,assho'wn. The said bell lever is also connected with the ends of the axle Z, of the rear wheel by means of wires z, 2, means being provided, such as a turnbuckle for tightening upsaid wires; By means or thisconstriiction it will beevident that when the forward end of the foot rest I, ismovedislightly upward, which can be easily done when skating, the bell lever y, will be moved and by means of the wires 2, the rear iwheel' vvill' be forced' against the tension of thev rubber blocks. q, into contact with the So guard J, and the friction thus produced will tend to arrest further movement of the skate.

In this way a very effeetiveand satisfactory brake willbe' obtained; I r I I i The operatioirof my improved-roller skate I will be readilyfunde'rstood withoutidetail'ed explanation, it being found" in} practice ith'atf the action of the improved "skate is closely analogous to that of'ordinary'ice skates. The manner of steering the improved roller skate o depends entirely'upon the fact'tha't thepeirit of contact of the front Wheel withftheground is in advance ofthe pivotal point thereof, so that when-the .skate is inclined: toward one side'or the other by the fobt of the user the" frontwheel Will'be turned to thesidfe of in elination to a greater'or less extent accordingto the anglefofinclination; By makinguse of'the springs H, thefront wh'eelfwill be're turned to its normal brigi-nalposition-in line withth'e back-"wheel," when' the skateisreturned to its practical vertical position, aswill be understoodfi H v V In practice I prefer-to'arrange thefo'o't support 1, above the axis "of" the wheelsffo'rthfe reasonthat the skate steers better byfdoing so, andthe feet of theuse'rwill be sufficientlyelevated to prevent the sideszof-the foot'support I, from striking'ston'es andob'striicti ons when the skate isinclined to either side for r 10 the purpose of steering.

1' Having-now described myfinventiom'what I claim as new therein, anddesireto secureby Letters Patent, is- I 4 y l 1. An improved roller :skate,comprisinga plate A, a foot support I; on said "plate,- a rear wh l nt on i la e e flafre t be ii pivotally mounted on said pla'te,substantially"' asdescribe'd," I V I I V V v p 2. An improved irollerskate,comprising 12o platen," a foot support I,onsaid"plate, a rear wheel mounted on repiamanira fmntw per pivotally mounted 'on' saidplate," said-foot sup' 'j portbeingarranged one; line above theiaxis" of thesupporting wheels, substantiallyas de' 3; An" improvedr oller"skatef'comprising a plate A,- a foot support I; p saiep areg ar ar-i wheel mounted on saidplate anew front wheel pi vo'tallymounted-fon'said plate w nters-pane I 3 o of contact with th'e 'gronrid-in-aidvairceiofthe pivotal point,substantiallyasdescribed.

4. An improved rollerskate;comprising-a plateA, a foot support I, on'said'plate;'a'rear wheel mounted on said plate a front wheel pivotally mounted on said plate with the point of contact with the ground in advance of the pivotal point and springs H, for normally keeping the front wheel in line with the rear wheel, substantially as described.

5. An improved roller skate, comprising a plate A, a foot support hinged thereon, a rear wheel mounted on said plate, and capable of longitudinal movement, a front wheel pivotally mounted on said plate, a guard J, rigidly mounted on said plate adjacent to the rear wheel and connections between the foot support and the rear wheel, substantially as described. V

6. An improved roller skate comprising a plate A, a foot support I, hinged thereon, a rear wheel mounted on said plate and capable of longitudinal movement; a front wheel pivotally mounted on said plate; a guard J, rigidly mounted on said plate adjacent to the rear wheel; a bell lever mounted on the under side of the plate A, connections between said" foot support andsaid bell lever, and wires 2,

between said bell lever and the axle of the rear wheel, substantially as described.

7. An improved roller skate comprising a plate A, a foot support I, hinged thereon; a rear wheel mounted within slots in the plate A, and capable of longitudinal movement therein; a rubber block q, in each slot for the purpose mentioned; connectiousbetween the foot support I and the axle of the rear wheel; and a front wheel pivotally mounted on said plate, substantially as described.

8. An improved roller skate, comprising a plate A, having the flanges b, at its rear portion and being bifurcated at such rear portion, said plate being provided with the curved portion B and head 0, and front and rear wheels mounted on said plate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STANLEY YV. FINCH.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. DYER, ARCHIE G. REESE. 

